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Sometimes when I’m knitting, I just know I look like an actor in one of those infomercials who intentionally makes using an everyday item look tedious for the purpose of selling a “new and improved” invention. Knitting is supposed to be relaxing, but you’d never guess it by watching me when I tug gently at my skein of yarn for more to work with, only to have it fly across the room into the paws of an overly eager to play cat…or onto the dirty floor of a hospital. If you craft with yarn in any way, you know the struggle is REAL. Some people have a fancy yarn bowl solution to this problem; my “new and improved” invention, though, had the humble beginnings of a plastic Ovaltine jar. But with a few cuts here, and some scrapbook paper glued on there, it became the yarn artist’s dream: a portable yarn caddy.

If there is one thing I’ve learned from hanging out with my friends who are moms, it’s that a mama is always prepared. If there’s a runny nose, they’ve got Boogie Wipes for that. Diaper blowout? No worries. They brought along an extra onesie. It’s kind of amazing how many situations they are prepared for just because of what they include in their diaper bags. Not to heavily compare pet ownership with having a child, but cats also need a lot of stuff when you take them places. So, drawing inspiration from all moms, I decided to start working smarter not harder and put together a cat diaper bag.

On this day in 1987, lots of folks were listening to Bon Jovi’s ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’. I only tell you this because I sort of missed the optimal time to publish my Valentine’s Day post, and it had to do with Bon Jovi. Actually it was a “galantine” for my Bon Jovi fan of a cousin, Allison. And any good JBJ devotee will tell you that there is never a wrong time to adore Jon. So, Allison, here ya go a day late: these Bon Jovi lyrics valentine rocks , complete with a heart shaped box are just for you. <3

I’ll never grow out of loving a nice dinner on V-Day, but I’ll pass on the chocolates with mystery faux fruit fillings. I’m not sure if Allison feels the same way about Valentine chocolates, but I will admit that I bought a box of them for this project, ate 2, and threw the rest away. In my humble opinion, she’s getting a better deal with these rocks. 😉

Did yesterday mean anything special to you? I mean, did you know it was Mardi Gras? I know, it can be hard to remember these things when you aren’t Catholic, don’t live in the Deep South, or there is no fun commemorative artwork on Google’s homepage to remind you. I just pay more attention to things that happen in New Orleans now since we’ve visited a few times and because it’s not too terribly far away from where we live. I still don’t really celebrate Mardi Gras, but I really like the colors green and purple together and some of the (tasteful) colorful apparel. So, in honor of good New Orleans memories and the FACT that every girl needs a pair of dangly, gaudy earrings in her stash: I bring you all you need to know about making some tasseled bead-dazzled Mardi Gras earrings!

The Truth is out there. And so is the need for more original X-Files paraphernalia that doesn’t include the previous quote…or flying saucers! Those are unlikely to blend seamlessly with most folks’ home décor. But some warm and fuzzy printouts of quotes with pretty fonts and backgrounds sounded promising. That was my thought process when I decided to make these X-Files quote printouts featuring some great lines from your two favorite FBI agents, Mulder and Scully. You’re going to want to hang these up in your living room.

Fact: I am not a minimalist. So why is my brain behaving like one right now? I like to call it the “multiple moves effect”. It’s what happens when you have relocated several times and are planning to do so a few more times. It’s when you see that rusty muffin pan at Goodwill and your crafty side says, “Yes! I can make that beautiful!” but your rational side says “Nope. That’s just gonna take up more space in the suitcase.” Then my crafty side makes a sad alpaca sound while my rational side, very stoically and unapologetically, says, “Get. Over. It.” But, I think I did manage to strike a balance between these warring factions inside me when I settled on making this bohemian paracord cat collar. Azreal is gonna love it! Probably. 🙂

Is anyone else out there a little panicky about the fact that we are already more than a week deep into 2016? I have a long list of habits I need to change, foods I need to stop eating, schedules I need to make, and a bedtime of 10 o’clock to keep. That last one was really the only official resolution I made, but it still hasn’t happened yet. I had all these goals floating around in my brain…plus an empty box and a tangled mess of ribbons that bore a striking resemblance to uber-magnified quaternary protein structures. Something definitely had to be done about that. And so I give you…my very first feat of organization in the year 2016: the Press ‘n Seal box ribbon organizer.

Y’all! We’re back in WV! I can own up to the fact that Christmas is less than a week away now that I’m home. It just feels right now. Know what I mean? In other news, I went to Rue21 the other day and was surprised at the number of garments I saw there that I actually would wear, namely a certain ugly Christmas sweater that had a reindeer on it AND also lit up with a bunch of little lights when you flipped a small switch on the inside of the sleeve. I never thought I was an ugly sweater kind of gal, but as it turns out, I guess I am. Surprise! But I’m also cheap. No shocker there. Sooo…I made my own, and my husband told me it was the prettiest ugly Christmas tree sweater he’d ever seen. Mission accomplished…I think?

The projects I love most are the ones that a) turn out nice, b) are fun to plan for, and c) are cheap. This sweater was ALL 3. I found the winning sweater specimen at the Salvation Army Store—my fav—for $2. I had to talk myself out of buying some brown yarn and a veterinary internal medicine textbook before I left and headed to Wal-Mart where I was searching for Christmassy ornament-y embellishments. The ones I eventually chose came in a bundle of 5—shiny stars, snowflakes, and birds—for only $1.98. All told, my “ugly” Christmas sweater was under $7. (*victory!)

I had resolved to NOT decorate the trailer for Christmas. I’m no Scrooge, it’s just that we always go home to WV for Christmas, and by the time we get back to Mississippi (on January 3rd) I’ll be ready for spring. But I let my creative side get involved, this wine bottle nativity scene happened, and that resolution was over. The decorating snowballed to include a Charlie Brown Christmas tree that we plucked out of the backyard. It’s so petite—bless it—that it can’t support lights, so I ornamented it with some mauve lace from my craft stash and the contents of my jewelry box. It’s a very girly little tree and a wholly unorthodox setup altogether, what with the wine bottle nativity scene and all…but sometimes it’s fun to see what you can do with stuff you already have :).

Figuring out how to decorate the tree proved a bit difficult. Asa and I tried putting lights on it, and the poor thing nearly crumpled. We only had two ornaments, both pretty heavy, that we attempted to hang on it. One broke after the tree’s twiggy little branch gave way, spilling sand from our honeymoon all over the kitchen table. Asa gave up after that, and the only small, sparkly stuff I had left to try was in my jewelry box. Doubtfully, I put it all on the tree and added a piece of lace. And you know what? The bracelets, necklaces, and earrings on our little evergreen are kind of pretty and, I realized, also very meaningful for me.

Brrrrrrrr friends! Mississippi has decided that it’s about time to be winter, and I’m feeling it. Out with the soup and blankets, scarves and pea coats, hot tea and boots! Oh, and boot cuffs. If my boots are going to be practically permanent fixtures on my feet from now till March, I decided that they cannot be flapping against my legs. Do you know what I’m talking about? Having a space between your calf and your boot so that with every step they flap? I prefer a snug fit and have been wanting to make boot cuffs for a while. Not just any ole’ cuffs would do, though. I wanted something pretty with a touch of whimsy. So, at the end of my Frankenstein-ish knitting frenzy, these were the result—Frozen inspired boot cuffs!

When my family and I went to Disney World, my cousin and I (ages 20 and 19) were those two older girls who secretly wanted to go into the “Bibbity Bobbity Boutique” and come out princesses. The sea of little girls in there and the high price of becoming a princess dissuaded us, but I think the dream is still there a little bit… *sigh.

Even now that I’m older, a Disney princess makeover still sounds fun! But I started thinking about the princesses and what they do in the movies, and I realized that even more than their pretty faces I most admire their skills…like archery, and boating, and horseback riding.

So my selection of gifts for princesses includes a little something for everyone– a pretty ring for the dainty Briar Rose types, a kayak for the adventurous Moana types, and some interesting picks for those princesses in between. You got a pen? Ya might want to jot down a couple of these ideas for those unique princesses on your own Christmas list. 😉